The Changing Realm of Latin Jazz

Grammy awards - When most people think of Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes up, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is actually one aspect with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people around the party area for many years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a location in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing quantity of artists have abandoned the oasis for different cultural and artistic influences. These days, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum with the Caribbean and South America, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Carnegie Hall - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played most inside the increase of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles like the festejo and landó to the style too a more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has developed a unique approach with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it has only been recently that artists have convey a distinct emphasis upon the thought of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs as a foundation for jazz.

Argentina happens to be recognized for it's passionate tango, and lots of musicians have found that this music is really a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has built a definite language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the work of influential composer Astor Piazzolla with a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often think about the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim once they think about the blend of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, however the style has grown into something much more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has built upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and designed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a New York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Edm - The dance floor is obviously still an integral part of Latin Jazz - just listen to the music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo to get a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design and style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting an even more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a more diverse experience.